Close

Retour d’expérience du Hackathon Paris Challenge 2025 / Interview de Mario García Páramo

Publié le 2 décembre 2025

Within the field of sustainable development, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are becoming an essential strategy for safeguarding, improving, and rehabilitating both natural and modified environments. Initially developed to support conventional, technology-focused approaches, they are now increasingly viewed as stand-alone solutions. Rooted in interdisciplinary collaboration, NBS offer adaptive responses to societal needs while simultaneously promoting ecosystem health and human well-being. They therefore play a crucial role in tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time, such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, water security, and social justice.

As part of this challenge, students from various countries and academic disciplines – including chemistry, geology, social sciences, economics, and urban planning – will work together in cross-disciplinary teams. Their task is to imagine, develop, and evaluate creative Nature-Based Solutions to improve urban spaces. The projects are based on real-life situations, either directly submitted by cities and companies or inspired by existing field experiences.

What were your expectations for this week dedicated to ‘Nature-Based Solutions: Paris Challenge 2025’ ?

I had never been to an Eelisa event before, so I didn’t have many expectations about it, only learn more about NBS working alongside students from all over the world and get to know a little more about Paris.

What was your initial knowledge of the subject ?

NBS is a topic I have always found it interesting and in recent years thanks to the university it has sparked more interest in me.

Has your view on the subject changed ?

Yes!, I’ve realized that NBS are very important and in the near future they will be even more so both in the field of engineering and in the daily fight against climate change. Furthermore, I believe they are a very realistic solution to many of the problems I may face as an engineer when I finish my studies, and I will definitely keep them in mind. My interest in learning about all the NBS that are published has increased.

What surprised you the most ?

About NBS : how they can be an even better solution than a “normal one” About Eelisa : how well it’s organized and the importance of every student being able to enjoy something like this. About this three days in Paris : how beautiful Mines university is ! I think I’ll be back in Paris soon.

What will you keep in your mind from this week ?

About how we, students from all over the world, came together to search for real NBS and managed to obtain some amazing results from which I learned a lot and all the friends I made that I definitely want to see again and the most beautiful walks through Paris at night.